Poultry appliance.



PATENTED APR. 10, 1906.

13. J, SHANAHAN, POULTRY APPLIANCE! APPLICATION FILED JULY 7. 1905.

UNITED STATES PA ENT OFFICE.

EDWARD J. SHANAHAN, OF TRIBES HILL, NEW YORK.

POULTRY APPLIANCE- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 10, 1906.

Application filed July '7, 1905. Seri l No 268.703.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD J. SHANAHAN, residing at Tribes Hill, in thecounty of Montgomer'y and State of New York, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Poultry A pliances, of which the following isa full, 0 ear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make anduse the same.

This invention relates to poultry appliances, and is especially adaptedfor use in connection with domestic fowls, particularly hens. One of itsobjects is to provide a device designed to break up or reduce to aminimum the practice of egg-picking prevalent among domestic fowls.

A further object is the provision of a device of this character soconstructed as to be arranged within a nest.

Other objects will be in art obvious and in part pointed out hereinater.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction,combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts which will beexemplified in the device hereinafter described. and the scope of the aplication of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein is illustrated one of the severalvarious possible embodiments of my invention, the figure is a view inperspective of the same, showing a hen about to eat an egg, and therebyto put the device into ,operatlon. I Preliminary to a specificdescription of the several features of my invention 1t may here be notedthat a great source of lossand annoyance to keepers of poultry residesin the vicious practice of certain fowls, particularly hens, of breakingthe shells of eggs and eatingthe contents-thereof before they have beenremoved from the nest. As tending to eliminate this practice I havefound it desirable to provlde a device such that an induced current ofelectricit will pass through the body of the hen or other fowl wheneggeating is attempted.

As the acts of egg-eating are usually performed within the nest, I havefound it desirable to so construct the device designed to accomplishthis purpose that'the same may be arranged to operate within said nest.The

above and other objects are attained in constructions of the nature ofthat hereinafter described Referring now to the drawings, there is shownat A a metallic base-plate, upon which is mounted an insulatin -block 1.I refer to construct the block of wood; but it is obvious that anysuitable non-conducting substance may be advantageously employed in thisrelation. Mounted u on block 1 is a metallic substantially eg -s apedshell 2, designed to form a receptac e for an egg. A removable pin 2 isarranged longitudinally of said shell and extends without the endsthereof. 'Arranged about the edge of block 1 is a groove 3, the purposeof which will be ap parent hereinafter. Leads 4 and 5 connect base-plateA and pin 2, respectively, with the opposite poles of induction-coil 6.Lead 5 is insulated from base-plate A, as at 7. A

circuit 8, leading from a suitable source of supply, as, in the presentinstance, battery 9, is adapted to energize induction-coil 6 and tocause an induced current of electricity to flow through leads 4 and 5when the circuit partly comprised thereby is closed.

Although from the above description the operation of my invention shouldbe lar ely obvious, it is substantially as follows: lhe device as awholeis preferably arranged within a nest with base-plate A onlyscantily covered with straw or other material commonly employed innests, which material is arranged about block 1 and partly covers shell2. The connections havin been arranged as shown, an egg is placed inshell 2 and pin 2' inserted therethrough. When a hen or other fowlstandin upon base-plate A, as shown in the figure, reaks the eg in theshell 2 and attempts to eat the same, t e contents thereof will flowabout the sides of metallic shell 2 and wet the same, and the circuitpartially comprised by leads 4 and 5 will be closed through the body ofsuch fowl, causing, of course, physical pain and shock. At this point itmay be noted that a direct connection at all times exists between theinterior of the egg and the metallic shell 2, and it is only necessarythat the hen or other fowl bring its bill into contact with the contentsof the egg to set my device into operation.

It will readily be seen that a hen or other fowl once having attemptedthis practice and having been subjected to an electric current willthereafter from fear desist from such acts. Groove or trough 3 operatesto prevent the contents of the egg fromflowing down on base-plate A, andthus close the circuit, as will be readily understood.

Although I have shown and described my invention as applied to a deviceof the above character, I do not wish to be undrrstood as being limitedexclusively to this precise arrangement, as several of the features ofmy invention may be readily applied to devices of an analogous nature.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and manyapparently widely-different embodiments of my invention could be madewithout departing from the scope thereof, I intend that all mattercontained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawingshall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I desire it also to be understood that the language used in thefollowing claims is intended to cover all of the generic and specificfeatures of the invention herein described and all statements of thescope of the invention which as a matter of language might be said tofall therebetween.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. In a device of the class described, in combination, a plate ofconducting material, means adapted to receive an egg insulated from saidplate, a source of electric supply, and leads extending from said sourceof supply to said plate and also to said egg-receiving means.

2. In a device of the class described, in combination, a plate ofconducting material, means adapted to support an egg arranged upon saidplate and insulated therefrom, a source of electric supply, and leadsextendin from said source of supply to said plate and also to saidegg-supporting means.

3. In a device of the class described, in combination, a plate ofconducting material, a device adapted to receive an egg, a source ofelectric supply, leads extending therefrom to said plate and also tosaid egg receiving means, the arran ement being such that a cir cuitwill be plosed through the body of a fowl when standing upon saidbase-plate and engaged in eating said egg.

4. In a device of the class described, in combination, a plate ofconductin material,

a metallic egg-receiving shell insu ated from' said plate, a source ofelectric supply, leads extending therefrom to said plate and also tosaid egg-supporting shell, the arrangement being such that a circuitwill be closed through the body of afowl when standing on said plate andengaged in eating said egg.

5. In a device of the class described, in combination, a plate ofconducting material, a block of non-conducting material arrangedthereon, a metallic e -receiving receptacle positioned upon said iilock, a source of electric supply, leads extending from opposite polesthereof to said plate and to said receptacle respectively, thearrangement being such that a circuit will be closed through the body ofa fowl when standing upon said base-plate and attempting to eat an eggin said receptacle.

6. In a device of the class described, in combination, a plate ofconducting material, a device adapted to receive an egg, means carriedby said device adapted to enter the interior of an egg supportedtherein, a source of electric supply, leads extending from oppositepoles thereof to said plate and also to said last-mentioned means, thearrangement being such that a current of' induced electricity will flowthrough the body of a fowl standing upon said plate and attempting toeat an egg supported in said device.

7. In a device of the class described,in combination, a plate ofconducting material, a block of non-conducting material arrangedthereon, a device adapted to receive an egg positioned upon said block,'means adapted to extend-through said shell and also through an eggcontained therein, a source of electric supply, leads extending fromopposite poles thereof to said plate and also to the means extendingwithin the egg supported in said egg-receiving device, the arrangementbeing such that a current of electricity will flow through the body of afowl standing on said plate and engaged in eating an egg in said device.

8. In a device of tlieclass described, in combination, a plate ofconducting material, a block of non-conducting material supportedthereon, a metallic shell carried by said block said shell being adaptedto receive an egg therein, a source of electric supply, a connectionbetween said plate and'one pole of said source of supply, a connectionbetween the opposite pole thereof and said metallic receptacle, thewhole being so arranged and constructed as to cause a circuit to beclosed through the body of a fowl while standing upon said base-plateand engaged in eating an eg in said metallic rece tacle.

9. n a device of the c ass described, in combination, a source ofelectric supply, an electrode connected therewith, and a secondelectrode also connected therewith and comprised by a metallicreceptacle adapted to receive an egg, said electrodes being so arrangedthat a circuit will be closed through the body of a fowl standing uponsaid first-mentioned electrode and attempting to eat the contents of ane g in said second-mentioned electrode.

10. In a device of the class described, in combination, an electrodeadapted to be arranged Within a nest, a second electrode comprised by ametallic eggreceiving rece tacle also adapted to be arranged within sainest, an insulating-body arranged between said electrodes, leadsextending from opposite poles'of said source of supply to saidelectrodes, the arrangement being such that a adapted to be arranged Wcircuit will be closed through the body of a fowl standing upon thefirst-mentioned electrode and attempting to eat an egg in saidsecond-mentioned electrode.

11. In a device of the class described, in combination, a metallicbase-plate, a block of conducting material provided with a surroundingrecess in its upper surface supported by sald base-plate, anegg-receiving receptacle arranged upon said block, a source of electricsupply, said base-plate and said eggreceiving receptacle being connectedto opposite poles of said source of supply, the arrangement being suchthat an in need current of electricity will flow through the body of afowl standing upon said base-plate and attempting to eat an egg in saidegg-receiving receptacle.

12. In a device of the class described, in combination, a metallicbase-plate, a block of non-conducting material provided with asurrounding groove in its upper surface, an egg receiving receptaclearranged upon said block, means carried by said receptacle adaptedtoextend within an egg contained therein; a source of electric supply,said baseplate and said last-mentioned means being connectedrespectively to opposite poles of said source of supply, the arrangementbeing such that. a fowl standing upon said baseplate and attempting toeat an egg in said receptacle will close an electric circuit.

13. In a device of the class described, in combination, a metallic plateconnected with one pole of a source of electric supply, a metallicshelladapted to receive an egg connected to the 0 po site pole of saidsource of supply, said p ate and said eggilreceptacle being it 'n anest.

14. In a device of the class described, in

combination, a metallic plate connected'with Ell one pole of a source ofelectric supply, a block of lnsulating material arranged thereon, ametallic substantially egg-shaped receptacle positioned upon said block,said receptacle being adapted to receive an egg therein, said platebeing adapted to be inserted within a nest.

15. In a device of the class described, in combination, a metallic plateconnected to one pole of a source of electric supply, a block ofinsulating material having a groove in its upper surface, a metallicsubstantially eggsha ed shell supported by said block within saisurrounding groove, said shell being connccted to the opposite pole ofsaid source of supply, the arrangement being such that a circuit will beclosed through the body of a fowl standing upon said plate andattempting to eat the contents of an egg contained within said shell 16.In a device of the class described, in combination, a plate ofconducting material connected with one pole of a source of electricsupply, a block of insulating material arranged thereon, said blockbeing provided with a recess extending entirely about the upper surfacethereof, a metallic eg -receiving shell arranged upon said block withinthe inclosure outlined by said recess, a pin carried by said shell andadapted to extend therethrough and also through an egg containedtherein, said pin being connected to the opposite pole of said source ofsupply, said plate and the devices sup orted thereon being adapted to bepositione Within a nest.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of twoWitnesses.

, EDWARD J SHANAHAN. Witnesses:

G. WARREN HEATH, JAMES W. FERGUSON.

